Thursday 24 January 2013

Boosting Brand Value With Improved Logistics

Logistics and brand value are strongly inter-linked. Small changes in the former have a massive impact on the latter. In a world, where every minor mistake has a domino effect on the brand’s reputation through easily accessible Internet reviews, it is imperative for companies to make sure that their logistics do not leave any scope for any minor error. This is be possible if only the company’s logistics are customer-oriented, ensuring that customer friendly policies are not just laid in place, but also efficiently executed. 

Strong logistics strategies mean having the right items at the right time, and delivering them to the right customer. As easy as this might sound, the process that goes into flawlessly executing one is a highly intricate one, owing to the long chain of process involved. Since this is the face of the company that the customers directly get to see, it has an undeniable impact on the brand value. When customers know that the company they are dealing with has a strong customer support system and easy return or refund policies in place, there is a much higher chance of them remaining loyal to that particular brand. 

The following tips show how brand value can be boosted through logistics- 
  • Increase the flexibility and speed of the transportation management system- This tackles the prime concern of customers of correct and timely deliveries. It is also instrumental in streamlining the return and exchange processes, which are a key factor in establishing brand image. 
  • Maximizing logistical resources- When it comes to online shopping, it is a major challenge for a brand to stand out among thousands of its competitors. Especially in times when high-end brands are introducing attractive features such as same-day deliveries, free shipping, etc., which have proved to increase sales. 
  • Effective handling of recalls- With the manifold increase in customer awareness, recalls are an inevitable challenge that companies have to face. Increasing supply chain visibility and implementing robust testing and monitoring procedures are a few ways in which companies can tackle this challenge. 
  • Integrated data analysis technology- Many companies are turning to advanced logistics software for better maintenance of databases, which can be accessed at all levels of the supply chain. This helps to improve logistics management by streamlining the supply chain processes, increasing productivity and minimizing delays. 
By adopting these simple logistics principles, companies can significantly boost their brand value and increase customer satisfaction. 

Thursday 10 January 2013

Bar Coding For Effective Warehouse and Inventory Management

Inventory management is a process which helps keeping track of the goods at the warehouse and other details such as manufacturing, sales, and shipping of goods as well. Bar coding is an effective way to track the inventory. 

Let us check out how barcoding is useful in warehouse and inventory management:
  • Efficacy of bar coding: The use of bar coding in the inventory makes the warehouse management very efficient. The bar codes will help to scan the information much quickly on the warehouse computer network. This will ensure that the human work force required to perform the same task is reduced thereby saving on the time and costs. It will also reduce human introduced errors. 
  • Providing accurate information: Using bar coding ensures that all the information is accurate and up-to-date. You could also check out for how long the product has been at the warehouse and the price at which it was purchased. Further, it is also ensures that the warehouse is not over-stocked and the goods don’t go waste. You could also eliminate obsolete stocks from the warehouse. 
  • Fulfilling the orders: The use of barcodes will help the staff to ship the goods to the right destination very easily. This will ensure that the products aren't returned very often. In other words, the orders can be fulfilled without any hassles. You can check for accuracy by comparing the bar codes on the packaging sheet with the bar codes on the products. This will eliminate inaccuracies to a great extent. Further, customer satisfaction levels will also go several notches up.
  • Understanding the potential customer base: It is important to understand the potential customer base and you can do this by finding out where the products are shipped from the warehouse. This will help in determining which of the areas place the maximum orders. It would then become easier to market your services in that particular area and higher profits can be yielded as a result. 
While some companies use scanning tools in their warehouse to keep a track on the goods, this again has its own limitation which can cause errors. A bar code for all the inventories in the warehouse is a must to do away with inaccuracies. The bar code labels will provide complete info about the products in the warehouse. In other words, it is the most reliable method as it will eliminate typographical and date entry errors.

For more information about the benefits of bar coding in Warehouse and Inventory Management , visit McLane Logistics Technology  at 4001 Central Pointe Parkway, Temple, TX 76504 or call us at 1-800-989-7568.